Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Buttons undone far enough that I could glimpse his dark chest hair? Shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows? Messy hair after he ran his fingers through it?
What kind of fresh horny hell was this?
“Chloe. I need some scissors.” He rapped his knuckles against my desk. “What are you staring at?”
I jerked myself out of my momentary, misplaced thirst for my boss and opened my drawer. I grabbed the scissors and handed them over. “I was wondering why you appear to be undressing in the middle of the workday, sir.”
“Did that warrant such an intense gaze, Miss St. James?”
“Forgive me. I was momentarily horrified at the prospect of seeing you naked.”
Theodore put the scissors back on the desk and looked up at me. “It appears that our cohabitation is little more than repeated humbling for me.”
“I’m glad to be of service.”
“Who’s the boss here? You or me?”
I paused, tilting my head to the side. “That’s you, of course, sir.”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you pausing then.” He stood up, pulling the screen out of the box. “Move this box for me.”
I walked around to him and pulled the box away. As he laid the screen down on the empty part of my desk, I dug around in the box for the instructions and screws before handing them over.
It didn’t take long for Theodore to attach the stand to the monitor, and it only took a few minutes after that to get it in place on my desk and connected to my laptop.
Just like that, I had a human workspace again.
The screens we had in the office weren’t even this nice—they were hardly ancient, but this one was curved, and the blue-light filter meant the screen was easy on the eyes.
“Hmm.” Theodore grabbed the back of my chair and leant forwards, looming over me from behind. “That’s a better screen than I thought it was.”
My heart thumped in my chest. “You’re rather close, sir.”
“Am I?” There was an almost teasing note to his voice, and I curled my toes inside my slippers.
Yes.
He was close.
Remarkably close.
And he bloody well knew it—but I’d be damned if I’d show him that I was affected by our proximity. Even if I could feel the heat from his body when he leant in closer and took my mouse, brushing his finger against mine.
“Are these the notes for my next meeting?”
Work.
Right.
I could do this. More to the point, all I had to do to feel better was call up Imaginary Chloe with her weaponised box file and imagine raising it to conk my boss right in the nose.
It was surprising how therapeutic mental violence was.
“Yes, sir. I sent them to you this morning.”
“I didn’t see.” He crouched so his chest was touching my shoulder.
Was this workplace harassment?
It felt like workplace harassment.
Then again, I was the one who’d just been staring at him and musing over how attractive he was, so perhaps I didn’t have room to talk.
I liked working with him a lot more when there was a wall between our desks, and he barked orders at me instead of getting all up in my business.
Huh.
Whoever thought I’d miss the office?
Moreover, whoever thought I’d miss my boss being a cold, unfeeling bastard?
There was a reason people said be careful what you wish for.
This was it.
This was the fucking reason.
I cleared my throat and reached for my water bottle. “Would you like me to resend it, sir?”
Sir. Sir. Sir.
I had to build that professional wall back between us. The one he’d just torpedoed with how fucking close he was to me right now.
I was going to have a heart attack if he didn’t move his stupid aristocratic arse.
“No need, I’m almost done here.” He scrolled down the using the roller on the mouse.
I turned my face away from him and put my water bottle in my mouth, only to bite down on the straw instead of drinking.
This was good.
This was fine.
I was fine.
Totally fine.
Absolutely, completely, utterly, unequivocally fucking fine.
“Actually, can you resend it? That last point is quite complicated, and having your notes would be a big help.”
Imaginary Chloe raises her box file and hits The Bastard in the nose! He staggers back, clutching his face, and she comes in from the side with a deadly blow that knocks him to his knees!
“Of course, sir,” I said tightly, putting my bottle down. “Your meeting starts in ten minutes and it’s a video call, so please get yourself dressed properly.”
He sighed, straightening up and finally giving me some space. “I really do think you’re the boss here sometimes, you know.”
I barely resisted the urge to sigh. “Just please do up your shirt and put on your tie.”
“All right, all right.” He walked back to his desk, buttoning his shirt as he went. “By the way, what’s for dinner?”
Vodka and regret, probably.